ANZCTR search results

After completing the online managing stress course and OST children will be skilled in mastering irrational fears and will have improved mental health and wellbeing. They will be better equipped to confront difficult situations in school and in play. Evidence strongly points to the prevention of the onset of anxiety and depressive disorders in adults through the treatment of fears in children (Kessler et al., 2011). The rationale for this study is to demonstrate the efficacy of identifying children in primary school with specific phobia and using early intervention (OST) to reduce the risk of anxiety and depressive disorders later in adolescence and adulthood. The main hypothesis is: Participants who were randomised and attended the OST will have reduced fears (lower BAT scores) after treatment compared to the waitlist control group.

BACKGROUND: Metal ion release from metal implants through the processes of mechanical wear and corrosion has been one of the main concerns post total joint arthroplasty. However, there have been very few studies to show metal ion exposure post total knee implants. AIM: The aim of this study was to investigate whether blood metal ion levels are raised in patients with well-functioning unilateral primary total knee arthroplasty one year after surgery. METHODS: Whole blood Chromium and serum Cobalt levels were measured in 22 patients following primary total knee arthroplasty. Eleven patients had the cemented triathlon knee system and 11 patients had uncemented ACS knee system with multilayer coatings. RESULTS: Whole bloods Chromium and serum Cobalt levels were within the normal range. CONCLUSION: On the basis of our results, there does not appear to be any significant rise in blood metal ion levels following well-functioning total knee arthroplasty in one-year post surgery.

Allergic rhinitis (AR), or hayfever, is an allergic condition which is associated with inflammation of the lining of the nasal passages. It is associated with significant morbidity for a substantial proportion of children. International guidelines recommend intranasal corticosteroids (INCS) as first line treatment for persistent or moderate to severe intermittent allergic rhinitis. From a child’s point of view, nasal steroids may be associated with an unpleasant sensation without an obvious benefit. This study will compare fluticasone and budesonide inhaled corticosteroid in terms of taste, sensation, delivery and adherence in children aged 6-14 years. Patients will be recruited from outpatient clinics at the Mater Children’s Hospital. All participants will be required to provide informed written consent. There are two parts to this study. The first part will see the sensory attributes and device preference. A random number generator will be used to randomly allocate the order in which Budesonide or Fluticasone are taken. The subject will spray Medication 1 into their nose as per the instructions provided and then complete Questionnaire for Medication 1. The subject will be instructed to have a sip of water, eat a biscuit, smell a swatch of wool and wait 20 minutes before taking Medication 2 and then completing Questionnaire for medication 2. The second part of the study will see short term adherence. If the subject is willing to participate in Part 2 they will be asked to use Medication 1, for 4 weeks as part of the treatment for their allergic rhinitis. At the end of 4 weeks they will be asked to complete Questionnaire after 4 weeks of Medication 1 and send it and the Medication 1 bottle back to the investigators. The bottle will be weighed to estimate the amount of medication used. The primary outcome measure of the study is overall preference of Medication 1 or 2.

OVERALL AIM: This randomised controlled trial is aiming to establish if women who take the oral contraceptive pill (OCP) have a lower risk of getting bacterial vaginosis back again (called BV relapse or recurrence) after routine recommended antibiotic treatment. OTHER AIMs: we also aim to determine the mechanisms, or reasons, as to how using the OCP may be reducing women’s risk of getting BV back again. This will involve exploring the effects of oral contraception on healthy vaginal bacteria and BV-associated bacteria, and the effects on natural vaginal sugars and acids and immune markers. BACKGROUND AND SIGNIFICANCE: Bacterial vaginosis is the commonest causes of abnormal vaginal discharge in women of reproductive age affecting between 12-30% of women, suggesting it may currently affect at least 1 million Australian women. It can be associated with important complications such as miscarriage, premature birth and low birth weight, pelvic infection, and increased susceptibility to HIV and sexually transmitted infections (STIs). We have shown that BV relapse is common even after recommended treatment. However, we have found in two studies that women using combined (oestrogen & progesterone containing) hormonal contraception appeared to have half the risk of BV recurrence following recommended antibiotics compared to women not taking the pill. We further confirmed this finding by meta-analysis of published literature in which we showed that in 55 studies, women using hormonal contraception had a reduced risk of BV recurrence. However, no randomised controlled trials have been conducted and how hormonal contraception reduces a women’s risk of BV is unknown. We hypothesise that this could be happening via different mechanisms/actions such as increasing the levels of natural vaginal acids and by altering the vaginal immune response which may cause normally occurring “healthy” vaginal bacteria to increase and for less healthy BV-associated bacteria to decrease. HOW WILL WE DO THIS: This is a trial of 314 women who have been diagnosed with BV and prescribed the standard antibiotic treatment. Half of the participants (157 women) will be randomised to the oral contraceptive pill for 6 months, and the other half to no OCP for 6 months. We anticipate that those who take the pill will have a reduced risk of getting BV back again but this remains to be proven in this trial.

Commencing in 2013, the Australian and New Zealand College of Anaesthetists (ANZCA) implemented the Direct Observation of Procedural Skills (DOPS) form as part of the new curriculum that uses workplace based assessments (WBA) as an integral part of trainee assessment. DOPS is a generic tool using a 10-item, 9-point Likert scale scoring system for all procedural skills performed in anaesthesia. A vital aspect of confidence in the results generated by any assessment tool is the concept of reliability, which refers to the reproducibility of a test. This implies that a broad range of assessors, when viewing the same trainee performing a regional anaesthesia block, comes to a similar result. Components which improve reliability of an assessment tool include objective criteria for assessment, training of the assessors, direct observation at the moment of performance (rather than retrospective), and ability of the tool to discriminate between different levels of performance. As there is no published literature on the ANZCA DOPS reliability, we are performing this study to collect the consistency of scoring. The results will generate baseline data to inform future studies, such as whether training can improve reliability. This research project will recruit ANZCA Fellows and ask them to view 2 videos of regional anaesthesia block performance. The videos are scripted, and the trainee, anaesthetic assistant, and patient are roleplayed. Participants will view each video and score on the DOPS form. The results from all participants are analysed to estimate the degree of consistency by using measures of correlation.

This study aims to compare the efficacy and costs of implementing two interventions to reduce peer victimisation among children in grades 4 and 5, through schools in Australia. One intervention, Friendly Schools Plus addresses the entire school and aims to create a more positive school environment and greater recognition of victimisation. The other intervention, Cool Kids is targeted directly to children who are more anxious and experience current victimisation, and teaches them skills to empower them to better manage their relationships. The project aims to evaluate the impact on peer victimisation, children's mental health and overall costs and benefits associated with each program alone as well as their combination.

Early preterm birth (EPTB) is the major cause of perinatal mortality, serious neonatal morbidity and moderate to severe childhood disability in developed countries. Currently, effective broadly applicable primary prevention strategies to reduce the risk of EPTB in the general population are lacking. This randomised controlled trial will determine whether n-3 LCPUFA supplementation from mid-pregnancy (before 20 weeks gestation) to 34 weeks gestation reduces the risk of EPTB. The study is a double blind, randomised controlled multi-centre trial. The primary outcome is the Incidence of early preterm birth (EPTB) defined as delivery before 34 completed weeks gestation. Secondary outcomes include Incidence of post-term induction or post-term pre-labour caesarean section, other outcomes known to be directly affected by EPTB, and the safety and tolerability of DHA supplementation. Eligible women will be randomly allocated to either intervention (~800 mg DHA) or control groups.. Women will receive intervention from trial entry (<20 weeks) to 34 weeks gestation or birth, whichever comes first. Women will be followed up to discharge after birth. The study will be conducted over a 5 year period 2013 to 2017. A total of 5540 pregnant women will be recruited to take part in the trial.

This study is evaluating whether quantitative computed tomography (CT) can enable us to more accurately predict postoperative outcomes in patients undergoing lung cancer surgery. Who is it for? You may be eligible to join this study if you are aged 18 years or above and have been diagnosed with non-small cell lung cancer for which you will undergo lung resection surgery. Study details All participants in this study will receive standard care by their treating physicians and quantitative CT software will be used to analyse their CT images. Quantitative CT provides the ability to measure airway wall thickness on chest CT images, which is a potentially useful measure of airway obstruction. We hope to add these variables to the conventional measures used to predict postoperative outcomes in order to determine if this will be a useful tool to contribute to the prediction of postoperative outcomes, including quality of life and mortality. Prediction of postoperative outcomes following lung resection for lung cancer is important because it enables the selection of suitable surgical candidates.

The primary purpose of the study is to examine whether a brief (3-hour) professional development session on autonomy-support can enhance a physiotherapists' interpersonal style with clients, and improved client rehab adherence.

This research is to find out whether there are any health benefits using acupuncture for people with lateral elbow pain. Lateral elbow pain is one of the most common musculoskeletal pains of the arm with estimated population incidence of 1-3% (Fink et al 2002). Ninety percent of patients can initially be cured with conservative treatment and rest; however the complaint frequently recurs after resumption of work or sport (Fink et al 2002). Optimum treatment in primary care is still unclear (Webster-Harrison et al 2009). In the past 10 years acupuncture has become increasingly recognised as an alternative treatment for pain, including lateral elbow pain (Trinh et al 2004). In a publication by the United States National Institutes of Health it was determined that acupuncture may be useful as an adjunct treatment or an acceptable alternative treatment for tennis elbow (lateral epicondylitis) (NIH Consensus Development Panel on Acupuncture 1998). Based on the largely positive results obtained from a pilot study, negotiations over the last twelve months have resulted in our international colleagues enthusiastic to advance this project to an international study. The aim/hypothesis of the study is; does acupuncture treatment compared to sham laser improve physical functioning and a reduction in symptoms for people with chronic tennis elbow pain? References: Fink, M, Wolkenstein, E, Karst, M and Gehrke, A 2002, 'Acupuncture in chronic epicondylitis: a randomized controlled trial', Rheumatology, vol. 41, pp. 205-209. NIH 1998, 'NIH consensus conference: acupuncture', vol. 280(17), JAMA, pp. 1518-1524. Trinh, K V, Phillips, S D, Ho, E and Damsma, K 2004, 'Acupuncture for the alleviation of lateral epicondyle pain: s systematic review', Rheumatology, vol. 43, pp. 1085-1090. Webster-Harrison, P, White, A and Rae, J 2009, 'Acupuncture for tennis elbow: An e-mail consensus study to define a standardised treatment in a GPs' surgery', Acupuncture in Medicine, vol. 20, no. 4, pp. 181-185.